The incident occurred at the Chorbaga Sarbojanin Puja pandal in North Kolkata on Saptami evening, when a section of the pandal's gate broke and collapsed. The resulting chaos created a stampede-like situation among devotees gathered to celebrate the festival. To protect visitors, the entrance to the puja pandal has temporarily been closed.
According to sources, 19 people have died in the incident so far, while around 25 others have sustained injuries. Several people were hurt when the gate collapsed. Police and disaster management officials reached the location after receiving information about the accident, while the incident left puja organisers scrambling to manage the situation.
West Bengal Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari visited the hospital to meet the injured and directed officials to ensure they receive proper medical treatment. The injured have reportedly been admitted to Kolkata Medical College Hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the Kolkata accident and announced financial assistance from the PM Relief Fund. The families of those who lost their lives will receive an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh each, while those injured will be given Rs 50,000 each.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the incident. According to a report published by India TV, Shah cancelled his programmes in Bengal following the puja pandal accident and was scheduled to visit the injured in hospital.
The West Bengal government has issued a toll-free helpline number for people seeking information related to the accident. Those requiring details can call 18003455678.
The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 17, 2026
Eyewitnesses said that light rain had occurred in several parts of Kolkata after the evening began. According to witnesses, devotees started pushing and jostling as they tried to escape the rain, leading to the chaotic situation. Several people reportedly lost consciousness amid the heavy crowd.
One eyewitness described the scenes, saying, "Many people had fainted. Some people were being taken away on motorcycles. I saw this happening all around me. When people fainted, they were taken away on bikes. There was also a huge crowd there."
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh described the incident at the North Kolkata puja as deeply unfortunate and said that efforts were underway to take devotees to hospitals. He stressed that saving lives was the immediate priority, adding that the reasons behind the incident could be discussed later.
Ghosh appealed to the police administration to increase the number of medical staff at hospitals and said that party representatives were cooperating with the police. He also noted that relief and rescue operations were still required inside the pandal and that the situation was being monitored.
With police, disaster management officials and medical teams responding to the emergency, the immediate focus remains on treating the injured, conducting rescue operations and providing information to affected families through the helpline.
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